


From Dork to New York

by thepineapplesamongus



Series: The Max Holmes Series [1]
Category: Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live RPF
Genre: Adoption, Angst, Family, Foster Care, Friendship, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepineapplesamongus/pseuds/thepineapplesamongus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Are you for real?” I questioned, my eyes still wide from shock. “You want to adopt me, out of all people?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I'm serious.” Kyle Mooney said, smiling. “I saw something in you that I haven't seen in any of the other kids.”</p>
<p>"What's that?"</p>
<p>"Confidence."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meet Maxine

"Max! Get your ass up!"

 

My eyes snapped open as the screaming reached my eardrums. I squinted at the sun shining directly on my face and slowly pulled my blanket off of my tired body. Sleepily, I tried to rub the exhaustion out of my eyes.

 

There was a pounding on the door. "MAX, GET THE FUCK OUT OF BED!"

 

"I'm up!" I yelled back, quickly followed by a yawn.

 

The cold air from the window made me shiver, despite the fact that I was wearing sweats and fuzzy slippers. My frizzy brown hair was tied in a bun and messily propped on my head.

 

I stood up and looked around. The bed next to mine was empty. I hadn't had a roommate in months; whenever a new girl arrived, she got moved to someone else's room. The staff would never tell me the actual reason. They would just mumble an "I don't know" and look the other way.

 

I trudged over to my closet and picked out the first thing I saw. Today, that meant a tank top that read "I wear band tees as a form of mating call" and some black jeans. I quickly got dressed and slipped on my combat boots.

 

After brushing my teeth (and all of that jazz), I headed downstairs and sat at the dining room table. The source of the yelling looked at me, seeming pissed.

 

_Emma Caliri. What a pleasure._

 

"We have the adoption fair in 30 minutes, fat ass." She spat, eyes digging into me. "Try to look like you actually want a home."

 

"I look fine. Maybe you should change." I retorted, eyeing her Frozen pajamas.

 

She rolled her eyes at me. "If you knew me well enough, you would know I don't want to leave this shit hole. I actually like it here."

 

"Why do you even like it? The food sucks ass and all of the staff are assholes." I questioned, placing a hand on my hip.

 

"I don't know. I never got treated nice at home, so... I'm used to it, I guess." Emma said, staring into her Cocoa Puffs.

 

_Huh. She's actually expressing her feelings_ , I thought.

 

Emma always had this stone wall up, guarding her emotions. Why, I do not know.

 

I just gave her a sad smile. "Maybe you'll get adopted today."

 

"I know I'm not. You don't know shit, Max." She hissed at me, that rude tone feeling just as venomous.

 

_There's the Emma I hate._

 

I rolled my eyes and got up from my seat. Turning to the door, I grabbed my leather jacket and slipped it on before heading outside.

 

* * *

 

_Holy shit._

 

When I went outside, there were already a ton of people. More than we've ever had show up.

 

Something had to be going on. Nobody cares about group home kids! Why the hell would there be so many people all the sudden?

 

Shrugging the thought off, I took a seat on the lawn and sat with my legs criss crossed. It was kinda nice out. Not too hot, not too cold. It was surprising, considering it was October.

 

Nobody really talked to me at first, not even a simple 'hello'. It was almost as if I was invisible.

 

Meanwhile, the children were getting all the attention. Adults loved the toddlers and pre-teens. The younger, the better. Nobody really wanted a spoiled, fucked up teenager.

 

_No wonder why we get so much crap._

 

After a few hours, the adoption fair was about to end. I got up and brushed grass off of my ass when I heard footsteps approach me.

 

"Um, hi."

 

I moved my gaze up to see a tall man with curly hair and green eyes. Straightening my stance, I smiled.

 

"Hey there." I said. I held out my hand. "I'm Max."

 

"Kyle Mooney." He shook it. "I was just thinking about adopting. I don't know how this works, but are there papers I need to fill out?"

 

_Oh. He thinks I work here._

 

"Sorry," I apologized. "I'm not a staff here. I'm just another kid."

 

"I can tell." He admitted, his smile fading, and he looked over my shoulder. "The employees just look really... scary."

 

I looked behind me to see the person he was referring to. Key, one of our staff members. He was a tall black guy, who was really muscular. He looked he could kill you, but in reality, he was a huge softie.

 

"Oh, Key!" I exclaimed, excitedly. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, c'mon."

 

I happily led Kyle to Key. Once we reached him, I smiled at Kyle.

 

"Hey Key, we have someone." I said.

 

He turned around and smiled widely at me. I was one of Key's favorite kids, since I never caused trouble.

 

However, when his gaze rested on Kyle, his expression quickly turned to confusion.

 

"Hey man, I swear I recognize you from somewhere." He said, scratching his head.

 

Kyle just smiled and extended his hand. "You've probably seen me on SNL. Kyle Mooney."

 

I swear to god, I've never seen Key so happy in my life.

 

"Oh my god, man! I love you on that show. You're so hilarious." He laughed, shaking his hand ecstatically.

 

"Thanks, dude." Kyle replied, his green eyes filled with content. "My husband and I were looking to adopt a kid, and I don't know how the process goes..."

 

Key nodded. "I can explain it to you in the office. Follow me."

 

As they left, Kyle smiled and waved at me. "Bye Max!"

 

I returned the gesture and went the other way.

 

Inside, I had some hope that maybe today wasn't a _total loss._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wait. Don't leave yet. I wanted to explain the setup of the story.
> 
> Max will not be the only OC involved as the story runs through. There will be more characters to come, that will have a major role.
> 
> I want to state that later on, this story will deal with uncomfortable topics. If you are not okay with that, then feel free to not read it. I will warn readers the chapter before.
> 
> Also, the entire story will be completely original, and will not stick to the specific seasons [of SNL] or real world events unless stated otherwise. (See below)
> 
> I also want to state that this is a work of fiction. For example, say Kyle got into a fight in a chapter. This does not reflect any actual events that ever have happened, or my opinions on the cast members. 
> 
> Lastly, Max and any other OCs belong to me. If you want to use my characters, please contact me first and I will be glad to let you use them, depending on how.  
> -  
> I hope you guys liked the kickoff chapter! There's way more to come, and feedback is appreciated.


	2. Like  Other Girls

The next day, I was lounging around while Emma flipped through the TV channels. Unsurprisingly, she was in cartoon pajamas once again.

 

Emma finally settled on Impractical Jokers, and she turned to me with a curious expression. "Who was that nerd you were talking to yesterday?"

 

I raised an eyebrow. "Kyle? He doesn't seem that nerdy."

 

"He was so nerdy that the girls were swarming away from him."

 

I laughed. "He's apparently on Saturday Night Live."

 

Her face fell short. "Oh, he's famous. Screw him, then."

 

"What?" I was confused by this sudden change in tone. "What's wrong with him being famous?"

 

Emma sighed, looking at her nails. She glanced at me, and bit her lip. "Sit down, Maxine. It's story time."

 

"I'm already sitting."

 

"So a few years ago, some hot-shot celebrity came bouncing through these doors. He was looking to adopt a kid." She stated, a blank face on her person. "There was this nine year-old who was completely enthusiastic about it. She didn't care that he was famous. She just wanted a home.

 

"So, the dude got his paperwork filled out. Then, he just bailed." She told me, her gaze focused downward. "He claimed it was an 'emergency', and he would be back."

 

"How old is she now?" I asked, very intrigued. "Is she still here? Who was the guy?”

 

"You ask a lot of questions, Max.” Emma turned away from me, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear. “I don't know, but she's 13 now. He never returned."

 

I almost felt sorry for the girl. Emma clearly wasn't telling me the whole story. Maybe I could nudge her into opening up.

 

Instead, I just ignored it. "Kyle's not like that. I don't think he would bail, at least not with an explanation."

 

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Holmes. Don't get your hopes up."

 

I scoffed at the use of my last name. Emma was the only person to ever use it. To everyone else, I was just plain, old Max.

 

I got up from my seat and wandered to my room. It was a typical 14 year-old's: Band posters were splayed across the walls, stuffed animals (about 2, to be precise.) were on the bed, and makeup (mostly eyeliner) was on the dresser.

 

I sat on my bed and sighed. The fact that I've been here three years was really getting to me. I just wanted a home, and nobody has shown any interest in me. All of the adults thought I was hella weird, or just too old.

 

I mean, I was high school age, but was still an eighth grader. When my mom died, I got really depressed. My grades slipped and the school thought I wasn't ready for the next level. So, I repeated the sixth grade. All of my friends in the grade above forgot about me and replaced me. I tried hard to bring my grades up.

 

They still sucked, though. Just not as bad as before.

 

Resting my head on the pillow, I closed my eyes and tried to pretend I had a better life; that someone actually wanted me.

 

As the tears streamed down my cheeks, my sobs soon turned to snores.

 

* * *

 

 

"Max! Max, girl, wake up!"

 

My eyes snapped open as I heard my name. I glanced at the door to see Key standing there, a hopeful look on his face.

 

"What time is it?" I groaned, still exhausted.

 

Key smiled, chuckling softly. "It's 12:45. You slept the entire morning."

 

Upon hearing this, I jumped out of bed. "I slept for three hours?!? Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

 

Key's smile grew. "Well... You have a visitor."

 

My face went from shocked to puzzled. Then defiance. "I swear to god, if my dad is here-"

 

"No, no, no. He's not here." Key reassured me. "It's someone else."

 

I sighed. "Okay.."

 

He gave me a look. "Were you crying?"

 

I shook off the sad face as quickly as possible. "What? No, of course not."

 

He seemed skeptical, but didn't push it any further.

 

As I followed him, I quickly realized where he was taking me.

 

"Key?" I piped up. "Why are we going to the meeting room?"

 

"There's a special guest who really wants to talk to you." He told me, and kept it at that.

 

We finally reached the door, and he gave me one last smile.

 

Once he opened it, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head.

 

Kyle Mooney.

 

He was sitting there with this cheesy grin on his face, smiling ear to ear.

 

"Hey, Max." He greeted me, eyes filled with that same kindness from the day before. "Why don't you sit, so we can talk."

 

Obeying immediately, I sat down. Shyly, I brought my knees to my chest as I waited for him to talk.

 

He smiled. "Max, I like you. You seem like a kool kid. Cool being spelled with a K, of course."

 

I chuckled at the joke and played with a strand of my hair. "I'm not that cool."

 

I really wasn't, in my opinion. I was just an average teenage girl. I mean, I was only different because I was a foster kid, but it didn't make me cool.

 

"You are cool, Maxine." He encouraged with confidence.

 

"Max. Never Maxine." I corrected him. I hated being called Maxine. It sounded so proper, and it bugged the hell out of me.

 

Kyle's smile faltered a bit. "Oh, sorry. My bad."

 

"It's alright. Everyone does that when they first meet me." I reassured him, flashing a toothy grin. I didn't want him to feel awkward or anything. This helped, because he perked back up with that same peppy demeanor.

 

"Okay, good." He said. "Anyway, I think you're super cool. What I'm getting at is... I want to adopt you."

 

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

 

No. Fucking. Way.

 

I tried to dissect Kyle’s words very carefully. He wanted to adopt me, drab Max?! Nobody likes me, I'm just the whiny punk! I didn't want to believe it.

 

“Are you for real?” I questioned, my eyes still wide from shock. “You want to adopt me, out of all people?”

 

“Yeah, I'm serious.” Kyle said, smiling. “I saw something in you that I haven't seen in any other kids I've met.”

 

I tilted my head slightly. “What's that?”

 

“You're down-to-earth.” He stated. “When I briefly met you yesterday, you didn't try to go over the top and impress me or anything. You were so easy to talk to, and you didn't even care that I'm on TV. Most kids I've met freak when they find out I'm on SNL, and I didn't want them to like me just because of that. You were kind to me just because, and I love that.”

 

“That's literally the nicest thing someone’s ever said to me. Ever.” I grinned a toothy smile at him. “You're hella kool, Kyle. With a K, of course.”

 

He raised his hand to high five me, and I slapped my hand against his.

 

“I knew I made the right choice.” He voiced aloud. “Beck’s going to love you.”

 

“Does he know about me, already?” I asked. I’d seen SNL a few times, so I already knew what he looked like.

 

“Um…” He trailed off, scratching his head. “Not exact- No, he doesn't know. I wanted to surprise him.”

 

I smiled half-heatedly, already knowing how it'd probably go down. Beck would be surprised, and then have a problem with me. This is how it goes all the time when I respit at someone's house without the other half knowing.

 

“He’ll be fine with you, don't sweat it.” Kyle reassured me.

 

I nodded, hoping he was right. It would really suck if Beck got upset.

 

“So… You ready to become a part of the Bennett family?”


	3. Worries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyle and Max begin to rethink their situation.

“Oh my fucking god!”

“Language, baby girl!” Key chided me from down the hall.

My head pounded hard, and it was driving me crazy. In an attempt to ease the pain, I buried my face in a nearby pillow. It failed, and I let out another muffled groan.

The sound of footsteps reached my ears, and my bed sunk. “Hey, Little Princess.”

A smile crept across my features as I heard the childhood nickname, but Key couldn’t see it hidden in the pillow.

I felt his hand on my back, rubbing tiny circles. “I’m gonna assume the Excedrin isn’t working?”

“Nope.” I said, my voice smothered. All it did was worsen the migraine, and tire me out.

“Hm…” He hummed, thinking. “You still want to go with Kyle today?”

_Kyle…_

__

_Oh my god. Kyle._

__

I quickly sat up, my eyes wide. “Holy crap, I totally forgot! He’s taking me home today!”

“Max, if you aren’t feeling well, you don’t have to-”

“Fuck that!” I swore, getting out of bed. “I’m finally leaving! There’s no way in hell I’m putting that off because of a stupid migraine.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, baby girl.” Key smiled, glancing at the clock next to my bed. “You better huff it, though. He’s gonna be here in two hours.”

Shit, was I really in bed that long? I need to fix my sleeping schedule.

I returned Key’s smile. “Okay, my stuff is already packed anyway. I just need to get dressed and make myself look presentable.”

“Yeah, you do that. I’ll leave you to it.” Key patted my shoulder before exiting my room.

I took a deep breath, and opened my closet.

“Now… What outfit says, ‘ _Dork to New York_ ’?”

* * *

The clock read 2:59 PM. I was finally to leave _Fallon’s Families_.

I didn’t go too crazy with my outfit, and settled on a band tee with some jeans and converse. My hair was left in its natural state, down and wavy. I think I looked okay.

Key helped me bring my bags downstairs, not that I had a lot. Over the years, I hadn’t really acquired much, making it easier to pack. I hated when my room was messy, because it spiked my anxiety.

I began to make my way out, but stopped at the doorway. I took one last look at the room, empty and waiting for the next kid to make it their own. Despite the sadness I was feeling, I smiled.

“I’m gonna miss this place.”

* * *

Kyle showed up fifteen minutes later.

As I grabbed my bags, Key clapped his hand on my shoulder. His eyes were full of tears. “My God, Little Princess. I’m gonna miss the hell out of you.”

He pulled me into a warm embrace, and I returned the hug. “I’m gonna miss you too, buddy.”

I meant it. Key was the only person I had a real bond with here, and it sucked that I wouldn’t see him again. Maybe I could call or something.

I pulled away to see Key’s goofy grin. “Good luck, baby girl.”

“Thanks for everything, Key.” I said, smiling.

I picked up my bags and turned to Kyle. “I’m ready.”

We headed out to his car, and I put my crap in the backseat. I was super nervous, and I assumed Kyle’s quiet behavior meant the same thing.

However, I didn’t expect him to be completely silent during the car ride. After twenty minutes of nothing, I spoke up.

“Are you alright?”

Kyle quickly looked over to me, startled. “Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Are you alright?” I repeated, a bit suspicious. This wasn’t the Kyle I met before.

 

“Um, sorta.” He answered. “Beck still doesn’t know about you and I’m just worried.”

“Oh?”

“I’m afraid he might freak out.” Kyle continued. “I should’ve told him, dammit. This is almost like what happened with Eliza-”

“Kyle, calm down.” I interrupted him. I was fearful that if his blood pressure rose any more, we wouldn’t survive in the car. “I’m sure Beck will be fine. I mean, I haven’t met him, but the guy seems nice.”

Kyle took a deep breath. “I hope he’ll be okay. I mean, we would make good parents.”

I nodded, feeling unsure. I was starting to become worried for Kyle myself.

 

_What if Beck really didn’t want a kid?_

 

_What if this breaks them up?_

I put on my famous plastic smile.

“You’ll be fine. I’m sure of it.”

 


End file.
